Cutting implement.



No. 840,468. 'PATENTED JAN. 8, 1907.

A. B. BENNETT.

CUTTING IMPLEMENT.

APPLICATION FILED 133.14, 1906.

9 aitouxm ABIJAH BENJAMIN BENNETT, OF OPELIKA,ALAB AMA. CUTTING IMPLEMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1907.

Application filed February 14,1906. Serial No. 301,074.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABIJAH'BENJAMIN BENNETT, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at O elika, in the county of Lee and State of A abama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cutting Implements, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to cutting implements. I i

The main object of the present invention is to provide an improved cutting implement especially designed for physicians or surgeons use, whereby in the operation of removing the stitches from wounds the stitches can be quickly and conveniently severed without pain to the patient or danger of reopening the wound or tearing or cutting the edges thereof.

With these and other objects in view'aconvenient embodiment of the invention comprises the construction and arrangements of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of one side of my improved cutting implement, showing the arms separated. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the opposite side, showing the arms in their closed relation. Fig. 3

is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, of the forward .portion of one of the arms. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating a modification in the construction of the forward portion of the arm shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to a detailed description of the drawings, wherein-like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 and 2 designate two curved oppositely-operating arms pivotally connected at their inner ends at 3 and provided with integral oflset rearwardly-extendin operating-handles 4 and 5 and longitudinaIly-ofl'set cutting edges 6 and 7, respectively, the cutting ed e 7 being in a plane that cuts the upper and lower edges of the arm 2. The cutting edges 6 and 7 at the outer ends of the arms are arranged to cooperate one with the other, and the curved arm 1 isprovided at one side thereof adjacent its cutting edge 6 with an integral flange for the reception of thecutting edge 7 of the curved arm 2. The flange which extends slightly to the rear of the cutting edge 6 comprises a bottom wall 10 and a side wall 8, the upper edgeof which curves upwardly from front to rear and extends above the cutting edge 6. The side wall 8 of the flange acts as a guide for the arm 2, serving to prevent switching or lateral play. between the arms during the cuttlng operatlon. The under surface of the bottom wall 10 of the flange is made smooth and rounded in cross-section to provide a resting and engaging surface for the implement in operation, ada ted to fit in the crease of a wound or the ike. This bottom wall 10 constitutes a stop to limit the movement of the arms toward each other and, as will be seen, serves to prevent the. cutting edge 7 from coming in contact with the surface or material with which the bottom wall 10 is brought into engagement.

The forward outer end of the arm 6 and the forward part of the flange merge and terminate in a pointed portion 11 in advance of the cutting edge 6, the upper edge of the portion 1 1 being straight and forming a continuation of the cutting edge 6. The pointed portion 11, which is provided with a curved under surface, is adaptedto pick up the stitches and guide them between the cutting edges 6 and 7. As illustrated in Fig. 5, the flange may be arranged to terminate short of the portion 11, and when this is the case the portion 11 will be supplied by extending the outer end of the arm 1 or in any other convenient manner.

In use the bottom wall 1.0,of the flange constituting the hearing or engaging surface of the implement in operation is adapted to enter the crease of a wound and be moved along the same, so that the stitches will be picked up by the pointed portion 11 and cleanly severed by the cutting edges without any twitching or lateral play of the arms during the cutting operation, the cutting edge 7, of the arm 2 being brought into cooperation with the cutting edge 6 of the arm 1 by means of the operating-handles. The provisionof means to prevent the twitching or lateral play between the arms during the cutting operation is a highly essential char acteristic, as otherwise the twitching of the arms tends to pull the sutures from the wound, resulting in pain to thepatient and annoyance to the operator, and increases the liability of tearing or cutting the edges of the wound.

It will be understood that my improved implement may be employed for other pur- IIO designed form and construction of parts hereinbefore described within the scope of the appended" claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim is- 1. An implement for severing woundstitches com rising a pair of operating-handles, movab y connected together andhaving downwardly-extending jaw portions arranged to hold the handles away from the flesh when in use, one of the jaw portions being offset at its end outwardly therefrom, said oflset portion having an upwardly-facing cutting edge and being rounded transversely and tapered longitudinally to a point, and the other jaw member being formed with a complementary cutting edge arranged to close into shearing relation with said firstmentioned cutting edge.

2. An implement for severing woundstitches comprising a pair of operating-handles movaly connected together and having downwardly-extending jaw portions arranged to hold the handles away from the flesh when in use, one of the jaw portions being offset at its end outwardly therefrom and provided with an upwardly-turned flange to provide a groove for the reception of the other jaw, said oiiset portion having an upwardly-facing cutting edge and being rounded transversely and tapered longitudinally to a point, and the other jaw member being formed with a complementary cutting edge arranged to close into shearing relation with said first-mentioned cutting edge and enter the groove adjoining the same.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 40 name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- ABIJAH BENJAMIN BENNETT.

Witnesses:

JAS. KELLY HAYNIR, A. H. READ. 

